Climate Activist Smears Pink Paint on Picasso in Montreal to Demand Climate Action

Montreal—As part of a sustained three-week campaign, a supporter of Last Generation Canada smeared washable pink paint on Pablo Picasso’s “L’Hétaire” at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on June 19. The activist, Marcel, aged 21, remained on site awaiting police, sparking the temporary evacuation of the exhibition room.

The action is one in a series that included painting the Montreal casino pink and blocking streets in protest, all aimed at pressuring the Canadian government to create a Climate Disaster Protection Agency. This proposed agency would support those devastated by extreme weather events worsened by fossil fuel burning, particularly wildfires ravaging the country.

Last Generation Canada calls for funding the agency through punitive taxes on the ultra-rich, fossil fuel executives, and bank CEOs who profit from the ongoing climate crisis.

“We value paint strokes and colour composition over life itself. Much more effort is spent protecting artwork made by long-dead artists than protecting living people facing climate disaster. Art thrives only when people live, not merely survive. Who in Manitoba, where wildfires are raging, has the energy to become the next Picasso?”
— Marcel explained the motivation behind the dramatic act.

Canada currently battles nearly 250 wildfires across multiple provinces, with significant loss of life, displacement, and environmental destruction. First Nations communities bear a disproportionate impact, and international firefighters have been called in for assistance.

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The group’s message is clear: the climate crisis is a war on humanity waged by billionaires and fossil fuel interests, while political and economic elites continue to ignore the devastation. Last Generation Canada urges citizens to disrupt “business as usual” and hold the powerful accountable for the environmental emergency.

Montreal Museum officials confirmed the painting was unharmed beneath protective glass, and the museum reopened the exhibition shortly after. Marcel faces charges of mischief under $5,000 and is expected to appear in court.

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